Instructed SLA

Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA) is a field of academic inquiry that examines the effects of instructional intervention on the process of second language acquisition. Rather than viewing language learning as a purely natural or incidental process, ISLA focuses on how pedagogical decisions and instructional practices shape learners’ developing linguistic systems. Research in this area seeks to identify the conditions under which instruction can most effectively support second language learning.

A central concern of ISLA research is how the systematic manipulation of learning mechanisms—such as attention, input, practice, and feedback—can facilitate second language development. Studies investigate how different instructional techniques, task designs, and forms of explicit or implicit instruction influence learners’ ability to notice, process, and internalize new linguistic features. Through empirical investigation, ISLA aims to clarify when, how, and for whom instruction is most beneficial.

By addressing these issues, ISLA provides important insights into the facilitative role of teachers in second language acquisition. It highlights teachers not merely as providers of input, but as active agents who design learning environments, guide learner attention, and mediate the relationship between input and acquisition. As such, ISLA offers a strong theoretical and empirical foundation for informed instructional practice in language education.